AFL 2026

[Trader]

You blokes do know that the AFL is all about reactionary optics and nothing to do with fairness, no?

Very true, I recon after a season or two they'll change it again, to increase flexibility, and those clubs picking this year and next will be hurt again! lol

[Jim05]

You blokes do know that the AFL is all about reactionary optics and nothing to do with fairness, no?

Very true, I recon after a season or two they'll change it again, to increase flexibility, and those clubs picking this year and next will be hurt again! lol

Coincidence of course that the Northern academies haven’t got much coming through in the next couple of drafts

[wenchbarwer]

You blokes do know that the AFL is all about reactionary optics and nothing to do with fairness, no?

Very true, I recon after a season or two they'll change it again, to increase flexibility, and those clubs picking this year and next will be hurt again! lol

Coincidence of course that the Northern academies haven’t got much coming through in the next couple of drafts

[amber_fluid]

What a joke the AFL are.
Oh well we’ve been shit for 20 years what’s a few more years gonna hurt

[The Bedge]

[You now need to overpay, using up picks 3 and 18 anyway, as you don't have the right picks to match pick 2, rather than pick 1..

Don't you get the delta pick value back though?

[Booney]

AIt was ok when it suited Brisbane - who were already top of the tree prior to the Ashcrofts being available, now for us, it changes. Excellent!

But wasn't the issue with the Ashcrofts that they were getting them for the points equivalent of like pick 8, rather than 1 or 2?

Well, no, but yes.

Will Ashcroft, pick 2 ( 2517 points ) was taken with picks 34,35,36 and 38 and with the father son discount those points ( 2014 - pick 4 is 2034 ) made the trade valid.

I essence they got him at pick 2 for the price of pick 4 using 4 picks in the 30's.

Levi, pick 5, to match the bid from Melbourne, Brisbane used points from draft picks 40, 42, 43, and 46.

[wenchbarwer]

What a joke the AFL are.
Oh well we’ve been shit for 20 years what’s a few more years gonna hurt

SA, WA & Victoria aren't "emerging markets", there's no other code to compete against.

Northern clubs are now stocked with all these academy rorts that will sustain them for the next decade, by that time Tasmania will be up & running and the AFL will pat themselves on the back on a job well done.

[Booney]

What a joke the AFL are.
Oh well we’ve been shit for 20 years what’s a few more years gonna hurt

SA, WA & Victoria aren't "emerging markets", there's no other code to compete against.

Northern clubs are now stocked with all these academy rorts that will sustain them for the next decade, by that time Tasmania will be up & running and the AFL will pat themselves on the back on a job well done.

SA is, pretty sure Qld has a higher junior participation rate than SA. Qld 90,000, SA 70,500.

[wenchbarwer]

What a joke the AFL are.
Oh well we’ve been shit for 20 years what’s a few more years gonna hurt

SA, WA & Victoria aren't "emerging markets", there's no other code to compete against.

Northern clubs are now stocked with all these academy rorts that will sustain them for the next decade, by that time Tasmania will be up & running and the AFL will pat themselves on the back on a job well done.

SA is, pretty sure Qld has a higher junior participation rate than SA. Qld 90,000, SA 70,500.

You didn't get those figures from Gerard Healy, did you?

5.5 million vs 1.8 million though for overall population, they're three times our size.

[Booney]

What a joke the AFL are.
Oh well we’ve been shit for 20 years what’s a few more years gonna hurt

SA, WA & Victoria aren't "emerging markets", there's no other code to compete against.

Northern clubs are now stocked with all these academy rorts that will sustain them for the next decade, by that time Tasmania will be up & running and the AFL will pat themselves on the back on a job well done.

SA is, pretty sure Qld has a higher junior participation rate than SA. Qld 90,000, SA 70,500.

You didn't get those figures from Gerard Healy, did you?

5.5 million vs 1.8 million though for overall population, they're three times our size.

Oh, understood.

[Booney]

On AFL senior lists in 2026 there are 668 players, senior lists only.

As of 21/4/26 there are 138 on injury lists.

GWS 12, Port 11, Richmond 13, West Coast 10, Bulldogs 11 are all in double figures.

Around 20% of senior listed players are injured, is that impacting on the quality of the football and has the AFL rule changes impacted this?

[wenchbarwer]

On AFL senior lists in 2026 there are 668 players, senior lists only.

As of 21/4/26 there are 138 on injury lists.

GWS 12, Port 11, Richmond 13, West Coast 10, Bulldogs 11 are all in double figures.

Around 20% of senior listed players are injured, is that impacting on the quality of the football and has the AFL rule changes impacted this?

Be interesting to see what these numbers are like historically across the AFL.

I've got a theory that players are more injury prone early in the season as they go flat out from round 1 (or zero). Try as much as you want to replicate it in pre-season, but nothing is like match fitness.

What rule changes do you think have impacted these numbers?